Improvement in devices for pressing chair-seats into their frames



' UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

WILLIAM ALDRIOH, OF PROOTORSVILLE, AND ALFRED F. SPAULDING, OF NORTH- FIELD, VERMONT, ASSIGNORS TO OYRUS 'WAKEFIELD, OF WAKEFIELD, AND CALVIN S. GREENWOOD AND LEVI HEYVVOOD, OF GARDNER, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FR PRESSING CHAIR-SEATS INTI] THEIR FHAIVIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,732, dated October 10, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM ALDRICH, of Froctorsville, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, and ALFRED F. SPAULDING, of Northfield, in the county of Washington and State aforesaid, have invented a new and useful Machine for Pressing Chair-Seats, &c., into their Frames; and we do hereby declare that the following is a f'ull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful iinprovement in the manufacture of chair-seats; and consists in so constructing certain forms and 'other appliances, hereinafter fully described, as

will enable the fabric composing a chair-bottom to be substantially, easily, and cheaply attached to the frame of a chair-seat, 85e.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a plan ortop view of the bed-plate, former and follower attached; Fig. 2, a reverse view of folding frame; Fig. 3, a plan or top view of stretcher-plate, with stretchers open; Fig. 4, a transverse section of bed plate, follower, and stretching plate; and Fig. 5, part section of stretcher-plate, showing chair-seat,frame, groove, spline, fabric, and die.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the drawing.

A represents a^bedplate, which may be made of cast-iron or other suitable material. Cast onto this bed-plate is the former B, the upper edge of said former being made with a rabbet, d. (See Fig. 1.) Fixed to the bed-plate A are two upright guide-pins, a', and also attached thereto are three spiral .or other springs, b b1 b2. Fitting into the rabbet d and passing around the former B, supported by the springs b b1 b2, is a follower, C. F represents the stretcher-plate, attached to the raised center of which are the stretchers c c c c. These stretchers spread outward by the action of the earn H and are drawn inward by the operation of' the pins ffff working in the slots 1] g g g of the cam-plate K when rotated by the lever M.

In order to attach the bottom fabric to a chairseat, the process is as follows: The follower (l being in position, as above stated, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a narrow hoop or spline, G, previously formed and bent to the required size, is placed around the former B and into the rabbet d and between the follower C, which keeps said hoop or spline in place. This being done, the fabric intended for the seat-bottom is laid over and upon said former, spline, and follower. Upon the fabric thus placed is then accurately laid the folding frame D with the folders e el e2 c3 thereon, drawn out clear from the inner edges of the ame; the exact position of said folding frame being determined by allowing the guidepins a a to pass through said frame through suitable holes h h made for that purpose. The bed-plate A, follower C, spline G, bottom fabric L, and folding frame D, being thus arranged, are then placed under a suitable press and the folding frame D forced down, carrying with it the follower O (the springs b b1 b2 yielding at the same time) until the spline G with the chair-bottom fabric is pressed into the folding aine D, thus producing one turn or fold of the fabric on the spline. The folding frame D being now removed from the bed-plate A, and the surplus edges of the fabric trimmed off, the folders e el e2 of are forced inward by the action of the levers m, when a second turn or fold of the fabric on the spline is had. The folding frame D, with the spline G and fabric folded, as above described, is now placed upon the stretcher-plate F, the chair-seat frame R, to which it is intended to attach the bottom fabric, having been previously placed thereon, (see Fig. 5,) and the stretchers c o c c of said plate opened, by operating the lever M which forces the projecting edges of the fabric into a third turn or fold onto the spline, and at the same time forces the spline G firmly against the inner side of the folding frame D, and thus stretches the fabric tightly around the spline, besides keeping it in place. Pressure then being applied, a die, s, of the proper size and shape, next forces the spline G with the fabric folded about the same, as before described, into the channel k of the seat-frame R, previously placed onto the stretcher-plate F, said channel being formed of such size as will allow said spline, with the fabric around the same, to snug- 2. The combination of the bed-plate A, follower C, spline G, in combination With a chair-seat or other frame, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the bed-plate A and follower C with the folding frame D, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

4.. A folding-frame with the folders e e1 e2 e3,

and levers m, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the folding frame D with a spline and chair-seat or other frame, for the purpose and in the manner described.

6. A stretcher-plate, F, with cam-plate K, cam H, lever M, and stretchers c c c c, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of said stretcher-plate with a spline and a chair-seat or other frame, as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination of the bed-plate A, folding frame D, and stretcher-plate F, in combination with a spline, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM ALDRICH. ALFRED F. SPAULDING. Witnesses:

FREDK. C. RoBBINs, H. W. ALBEE, J L. RUMRILL, P. BELKNAP. (62) 

